Simple Minds : Empires and Dance

New-Wave / United-Kingdom
(1980 - Arista / Zoom Records)
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Lyrics

1. I TRAVEL

Cities, buildings falling down
Ideal homes falling down
These pictures I see on the wall
Timeless leaders stand so tall
Assassin in a hit and run
Asia steals a new born son
Evacuees and refugees
Presidents and monarchies

Travel round
I travel round
Decadence and pleasure towns
Tragedies,luxuries,statues,parks and galleries

Europe has a language problem
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talking on
In central Europe
Men are marching
Marching on and marching on
Love songs playing in the restaurants
Airport playing "Bi Some Lo"

Travel round
I travel round
Decadence and pleasure towns
Tragedies,luxuries,statues,parks and galleries

Europe has a language problem

Europe has a language problem
America has a language problem
I Travel
Euro-Bureau-Interpol
Making love to the criminals
Asia has a language problem
I Travel
And on and on and on and on and on and on and on


2. TODAY I DIED AGAIN

The human drum
Beats a rhythm of life
The clothes he wears
Date back to the war
He talks alot
Often to himself
She don't say much
Just cuts his hair
She can't remember
Before the heat
He can't remember
His wife's christian name
Paint me a picture
Towers in sand
America can fall

Today I died again
I died again
I died today
Today I died again
I died again
I died today

Back to a year
Back to a youth
Of men in church and drug cabarets
Is this the age
Of empires and dance
Oh what a world
Oh what a world
She can't remember
Before this heat
He can't remember
His wife's christian name
Paint me a picture
Bodies in sand
Presidents can fall

Today I died again
I died again
I died today
Today I died again
I died again
I died today


3. CELEBRATE

Act of love
Is a luxury
The suit he wears
Belongs to me
The road is long
Seven thousand miles
Soldier talk
And uniform
We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate
We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate

She rag doll
Keeps him warm
This negative
Shows no form
He salutes the crowd
"Go west young man"
Run run run
The hollow man

We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate
We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate

To a distant land
Sand and sand
Touch to touch
A marble man
The house is glass
Furniture's chrome
Soldier talk
And uniform

We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate
We can live
I can live
Celebrate
Celebrate


4. THIS FEAR OF GODS

Someone singing in the shower
Someone singing in the shower
Singing singing singing
Singing shower
Someone's singing in the shower

I hear a voice and hear no angel
I hear a voice and hear no angel
Hero see no hero see no
Hero see no
Hear and see no
Hear a voice and see no angel

Violence and vivisection
Violence and vivisection
Lust lust lust
Lust lust lust
Violence and vivisection
Gods
Gods
This fear of Gods

Some boys are calling
Boys are crying
Some boys are calling
Boys are crying
Calling calling calling
Crying
Calling calling calling
Crying

Fear is fast
I'm turning white now
Fear is fast
I'm turning white now
Faster faster faster
Faster faster faster
Fear is fast
I'm turning white now
Gods
Gods
This fear of Gods

I'm back on black
Fear of Gods
Back on black


5. CAPITAL CITY

Nerve and nerve
This coastline swerves
To a city that they live on
I walk on by
Animals cry
To a city that they live on
To a city that they walk on
To a city that they live on
Pulse Feel Pulse

This train is late
I hesitate
To a city that they live on
Dance the dance of violence
To a city that they live on
To a city that they crawl on
To a city that they live on

Pulse Feel Pulse

City that they live on
Feel
To a city that they crawl on
To a city live on
Feel
City that they crawl on


6. CONSTANTINOPLE LINE

Hey Waiter
I'm first class
Hey Waiter
Where are we now?
Am I last
Am I last
Hey Waiter
Don't talk back
These tenants speak
A traveller's language
Caucasian talk
They're saying nothing
I see a land
As we crawl by night
I see a face
In the window in front

These stations are useful
These stations we love them
Newspaper
Encounter
Confusion

Hey Waiter
I'm first class
Hey Waiter
What state is this?
These reptiles scream
A violent party
All art and jazz
And League of Nations
I see a land
As we crawl by night
I see a face
In the window in front
The east is calling
I'm feeling nervous
I love the western
Style and change

These stations are useful
These stations we love them
These stations are useful
These stations we love them
Newspaper
Encounter
Confusion

Constantinople
Red
Red star
Red
Constantinople
Red
Red star
Red


7. TWIST/RUN/REPULSION

Switch the light on
We can think it's dawn
Oh push along
Push along
Play a long song
I'm laughing at marine
Marine laughs back
Don't like those boys
Toy soldier boys
I'm lying in bed

You can play me fear
You can play me fear
Only rhythm I hear
You cut me up
With joys of life
I'm going somewhere
I'm going someplace
If caution is life
Then caution is sin
Contort contort contort
I'll win

These walls that close
Close in on me
Seductress shout
Seductress scream
Switch the light on
We can think it's dawn
Oh push along
Push along
Pray along
Play a long song


8. THIRTY FRAMES A SECOND

Today I saw a film going backwards
Thirty Frames A Second
Was a man I recognised
Say who you are

I lost my job
Security
Self confidence
Bank account
Identity

The league of youth
Coming backward at me
Thirty Frames a second
Say who you are

Go back to father
Father where's my food?
You food is on the table
That can't be food
It's dirt

Say who you are

Look at my skin
Look at my face
Look at my arms
Getting younger
Going backwards
Thirty Frames A Second
Say who you are

I crash my car
Collapse in town
Young immigrants
And legionaires
Fighting back back backwards
Thirty Frames A Second
Say who you are

Some friends of mine
I thought were dead
A coming back
"What are you doing coming back
Jack"

Say who you are
Feel I'm going backwards
Thirty Frames A Second


9. KANT-KINO

(Instrumental)


10. ROOM

In your room
In your room
Silent man
Once again
The razor's song
The razor's song
Wear the mask
Another fave
In your room
In your room

City red
City red
Wear the mask
Wear the mask
A private hell
A secret sin
A friend of mine
Waiting for
A western man
Waiting for
New kind of glory
A view of glory
From this room

I only live here
I only live here
A fragile man
Waiting Waiting
Echoes...
I only live here
Echoes
In this room
Echoes...

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